Terminal days for Boris Johnson

Series of resignations mean the end is inevitable for the British prime minister

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has succumbed to a rebellion in his ruling Conservative Party and said he would stand down as leader. Reuters

Several crises, including sleaze allegations against a Conservative MP, had increased the pressure on Mr Johnson. Tim Hammond / No 10 Downing Street

More than 50 members of his government, including health secretary Sajid Javid and chancellor of the exchequer Rishi Sunak, have quit. AP

A new Conservative leader will be selected before a party conference is held in October. AP

A protester outside Parliament in London. Getty

Questions are mounting over how much Mr Johnson knew about accusations of misconduct against MP Christopher Pincher. PA

Nadhim Zahawi leaves No 10 Downing Street after being named as the new Chancellor of the Exchequer. Getty

Mr Johnson survived an attempt by Tory MPs to oust him in a vote of confidence in June. PA

Mr Johnson leaves the Houses of Parliament after the vote. Tory MPs voted by 211 to 148 in the secret ballot in Westminster. EPA

Sir Graham Brady, chairman of the 1922 Committee of Tory backbenchers, announcing the result of the vote. PA

A police officer patrols Downing Street on Monday. The vote of no confidence marked the most serious challenge yet to Mr Johnson's three-year tenure as prime minister. EPA

A protester holds up an anti-Boris Johnson placard outside parliament in London. EPA

Boris Johnson reads the long-awaited report by senior civil servant Sue Gray into the Downing Street party scandal. Photo: Andrew Parsons / No 10 Downing Street

A gathering in the Cabinet Room at No 10 Downing Street on Mr Johnson's birthday. Photo: Cabinet Office

Mr Johnson during a gathering held while lockdown rules were in force across the UK. Photo: Cabinet Office

Another gathering at No 10 Downing Street to mark the departure of a special adviser. Photo: Cabinet Office

Mr Johnson apologises to MPs in the House of Commons in April, having been fined after a police probe for attending a party during coronavirus lockdowns imposed by his own government. AFP

Mr Johnson was no more than 30 seconds into his speech when the first shout of 'resign' was heard from the opposition benches, followed by 'you’re an embarrassment' and 'just go'. Reuters

'I take this opportunity on the first available sitting day to repeat my wholehearted apology to the House,' he said, admitting that 'people had a right to expect better of their prime minister'. AFP

The prime minister, pictured with a birthday cake baked for him by school staff at Bovingdon Primary Academy in Hemel Hempstead, said it ‘didn't occur’ to him that a gathering on June 19, 2020 to mark his 56th birthday broke coronavirus rules. AFP

Former Chancellor Rishi Sunak, left, was also fined for attending lockdown parties held in and around Downing Street. AFP

Mr Johnson is the first sitting prime minister to be censured for breaking the law, sparking calls from all sides of parliament, including some in his own party, to step down. Reuters

A lone protester demonstrates at Downing Street in London. EPA

Before the war broke out in Ukraine, Mr Johnson appeared vulnerable to the Partygate controversy. He has been praised by some for his response to the conflict. AFP

Mr Johnson and his wife Carrie applaud health workers outside No 10 Downing Street in May 2020. Getty

Mr Johnson makes a statement in the House of Commons in January on a report regarding the Downing Street parties during lockdown. Reuters

A journalist highlights sections of the Sue Gray report. AFP

Mr Johnson is understood to have been present at six of at least 12 'partygate' events under investigation. One occurred on the eve of Prince Philip’s funeral, at which Queen Elizabeth II had to grieve away from other mourners because of social distancing protocol. Getty

Boris Johnson's headache dealing with his increasingly rebellious party is going to be substantial.

The question as to how long his newly cobbled-together government can last until the inevitable next leadership challenge remains.

His authority, following the resignation of chancellor Rishi Sunak and health secretary Sajid Javid, is rapidly slipping away.

Downing Street had hoped the domino effect of resignations would subside after 10 people — from parliamentary private secretaries to trade envoys and ministers — quit government on Tuesday night.

However, the terminal atmosphere for the Johnson resignation continued on Wednesday morning when Will Quince, the children’s minister, left government, rapidly followed by another ministerial aide and another junior minister.

Curiously, The National had spotted Mr Quince on the Commons' terrace on Tuesday evening talking in friendly fashion to well-known Tory rebels just 20 minutes before Mr Javid resigned.

Mr Quince was one of several ministers who had been ordered to go on the airwaves to defend Mr Johnson’s position over the Chris Pincher affair, after the deputy chief whip resigned last Thursday after allegedly groping two men.

Mr Quince had originally stated in interviews that he had been given “categorical assurances” that Mr Johnson was unaware of other allegations about Mr Pincher when he appointed him in February.

Children and families minister Will Quince said he had 'no choice' but to resign.

This was subsequently shown to be false, with Mr Johnson claiming on Tuesday he had “forgotten” being told about past complaints over Mr Pincher for which the prime minister apologised.

In his departure letter, Mr Quince said he had accepted the assurances about Mr Pincher in “good faith” and therefore had “no choice” but to resign.

His act was rapidly duplicated by Laura Trott, a ministerial aide in the Department for Transport.

The new chancellor, the widely respected Nadhim Zahawi, was live on air with the BBC when he was told about the resignations. “I am sorry to see Will Quince go... he was my children and families minister and a great minister,” he said. “All I would say to colleagues is people don't vote for divided teams.”

Earlier in the interview, the chancellor, who is expected to cut taxes if he remains in power long enough, was flummoxed for a few seconds when asked if he would be repeating untruths over the Pincher affair.

Nadhim Zahawi has been appointed Chancellor of the Exchequer by British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, replacing Rishi Sunak. AFP

Mr Zahawi, 55, inherits an economy that is heading for a sharp slowdown or even a recession, and will face immediate pressure to do more to help struggling taxpayers. PA

Mr Zahawi was previously education secretary and was replaced by Michelle Donelan. PA

Mr Zahawi with Portugal's President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa during a visit to Imperial College London in June. PA

Mr Zahawi answers questions from pupils during a visit to Manor Park Primary School in Sutton in May. PA

Mr Zahawi makes a statement in the House of Commons in March. PA

Mr Zahawi attends the Cop26 summit in Glasgow, Scotland, in November. Getty Images

Mr Zahawi holds a media briefing on the coronavirus pandemic at Downing Street in June 2021. Mr Zahawi was appointed minister in charge of the Covid-19 vaccine rollouts in 2020. Getty Images

Conservative London mayor candidate Shaun Bailey and Mr Zahawi on the final day of local election campaigning in May 2021. Getty Images

Mr Zahawi visits the Cullimore independent community chemist in Edgware in January last year after it became the first pharmacy in London to offer the Covid-19 vaccination. Getty Images

Mr Zahawi stands next to Carrie Symonds at the 2019 Conservative Party conference in Manchester. Getty Images

Former prime minister David Cameron and Mr Zahawi at the Conservative Party conference in Birmingham in 2010. Getty Images

It was a painful moment. But more of those will inevitably arrive in the coming hours for Mr Johnson.

First, he has to get through Prime Minister’s Questions at noon on Wednesday and then questioning before the influential Liaison Committee at 3pm.

Mr Johnson’s character is such that he is likely to bludgeon his way through the crisis no matter what happens around him. Even if more Cabinet ministers resign, he is likely to cling onto power until it is taken away from him.

That may well happen now more rapidly than expected via the 1922 Committee of backbench MPs, that oversees the Conservative parliamentary party.

Elections to its executive will take place next Wednesday where it is now all but inevitable that anti-Johnson MPs will take the majority. They will almost certainly change the rules within a few days to hold a second no confidence vote before summer recess on July 21.

In the last vote, 148 MPs voted against him, with 211 for. All it now requires is a further 32 MPs to switch their votes to “not having confidence in the Prime Minister” for Mr Johnson to be out.